Skill based lottery system

ABSTRACT

The invention disclosed provides a gaming system that is based on the outcome of scheduled sporting events. The wagers are directed to a selected sporting event and represent either of the top six, five or four winners. Alternate embodiments involve an array of sporting events, and other embodiments involve different scoring schemes. A method is provided to assign sports participants to groups when the total number of participants is large.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation and claims the priority benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/742,921 filed May 1, 2007, which is a continuation and claims the priority benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/392,138 filed Mar. 19, 2003, which claims the priority benefit of U.S. provisional application 60/443,360 filed Jan. 29, 2003 and U.S. provisional application 60/402,814 filed Aug. 12, 2012, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document of the patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The instant invention is for a skill based lottery system wherein winning, rather than depending on a random selection, is determined by the outcome of a pre-selected sporting event or events.

2. Description of the Related Art

Typical lottery games require participants to correctly pick numbers (3, 4, 5 or 6 numbers), which may win if the selected numbers are drawn from a larger pool of numbers. Typically, numbers are chosen from a computer coded card which is then presented to an authorized lottery agent. Lottery tickets containing the selected set or sets of numbers are then generated by a ticket generator. Players also may opt to “quick pick,” i.e., have their selections made for them by a random number generator contained in the lottery ticket machine.

The drawing to determine the winning numbers is conducted by means of a random number generating device such as, but not limited to, those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,583,736, 4,796,890 and 4,813,676.

A particular problem which has faced numerous jurisdictions which sponsor lottery games is that of declining revenues and profits. There are a number of state lottery agencies which are running deficits due to increased competition for players. With the proliferation of lotteries, states and Canadian provinces have aggressively campaigned to receive a larger share of static lottery revenues.

In addition, it is common for lottery jackpots to accumulate over many weeks. Accordingly, players frequently wait until a jackpot has grown to a substantial level before beginning to purchase tickets. Thus, the size of the jackpot is directly proportional to the demand for tickets. This phenomenon tends to create an inconsistent cash-flow for the lottery authority and frequently leads to frenzied buying at the last minute as the jackpot accumulates. This situation can result in people waiting in line for hours to purchase tickets, which disrupts the business of the ticket vendor and discourages the elderly and infirm from purchasing tickets.

It would be desirable to provide a novel lottery game which would increase player interest and which would help to increase the revenues of a lottery which adopted and sponsored the game.

There is also a need for a skill-based lottery to increase interest in lottery type gaming by permitting players to have an increased chance of success.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a novel lottery game in which the winning combination is not the result of a random number generator, but is instead based on the outcome of sporting events.

The gaming system that is the subject of the present invention is likely to increase public interest in lottery games and to improve revenues and profits for states, Canadian provinces and other jurisdictions sponsoring games generated by the gaming system. Incident to such benefits, the present invention can also be expected to accommodate the average sports fan's need for a reliable and readily available sports-betting opportunity that is more compatible with most sports fans' interest and gaming objectives than that offered by fantasy-based games such as those referenced in the Third Office Action issued on Dec. 18, 2005 in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/742,921. Whereas the average fan's primary interests and activities resolve around the competitive interaction of actual sporting events, fantasy games essentially ignore these interests, focusing instead on statistics and performance records compiled by participants during sporting events in which they may not even compete against each other. Moreover, fantasy games require familiarity with statistical analysis and a knowledge base regarding a broader range of existing sports and sporting events than that usually acquired by the average sports enthusiast.

The present gaming system constitutes a unique approach to sports betting, which is largely the province of odds-based betting. In odds-based betting gaming systems, the bookmaker or provider offers what are typically referred to as “odds,” but more appropriately referred to as “payout odds,” for each outcome of an event on which a user can wager. A winning user's payout is calculated by multiplying the payout odds offered by the provider times the amount wagered by the user on the correct, or winning, outcome. A provider establishes payout odds for each outcome by adjusting downward by a small percentage his estimate of the actual odds or probability of an outcome's occurring. He does this to ensure himself a profit, since adjusting the actual odds downward enables a provider to pay out less for a winning outcome than the actual odds would otherwise have required. The present gaming system employs a very different wagering methodology, i.e., a form of parimutuel betting similar to that of a conventional lottery. In parimutuel-type gaming systems, users compete against each other, instead of the provider, for a pool of money representing the total volume of monies wagered on an event, minus the commission paid to the game provider. Parimutuel-type gaming systems typically provide substantially larger payouts than odds-based systems and exhibit a high reward-to-risk ratio owing to the difference between the size of these payouts and the minimal fees charged to participate in a game. This high reward-to-risk ratio, in turn, attracts the number of users and volume of wagers required to support such payouts. The prospect offered by the present gaming system of substantial reward for minimal monetary risk can be expected to comport with the gaming objectives of a broad spectrum of sports enthusiasts and to attract new sports fans to a variety of popular, as well as less known, sports for which wagering opportunities are generated by the present gaming system.

In contrast to its apparent simplicity, the gaming system disclosed in the claims appended hereto is sophisticated in both its design and mode of implementation and can be expected to attract the substantial number of users required to support the large payouts typifying parimutuel-type games of wager. To do so, the system must be designed to maximize accessibility for users, must adopt a fairly simple wagering format, and must provide a basis for winning that is keyed to objective and verifiable events that enables users to validate the authenticity of the gaming process. To maximize accessibility for users, the system is structured for easy adaptation to existing gaming platforms, foremost among which are those of established gaming venues seeking to attract new users by expanding the scope of the games they offer. To encourage ease of use and promote confidence in the gaming process, the system employs a wagering format that is easy for users to understand and a basis for winning that is keyed to the outcome of actual, scheduled sporting events for which information needed for verification is readily available to users. These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the Summary and Detailed Description which follow.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENTLY CLAIMED INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention, a lottery-type gaming system is disclosed in which users must identify the required number of participants placing in one of the top six positions in an actual, scheduled sporting event, based on performance criteria established by the system for the event. Such events may include a golf tournament, auto race, football game, baseball game, basketball game, tennis tournament, soccer game, cricket match, or bass fishing tournament. The performance criteria may include placement in terms of finish, scoring totals, timing of scoring, statistical totals or the like. Operating games generated by the system is comprised of selecting a sporting event or series of sporting events on which users can wager; compiling a list of the participants representing selection options on which users can place wagers; establishing performance criteria for identifying “participants placing in one of the top six positions” in the event, referred to as such in the claims appended hereto and referred to herein using this term, as well as the alternative synonymous terms “top participants,” “top six participants,” and “top” “finishers” or “finishes;” establishing the number of those six participants that a user must identify correctly in order to win the game; accepting selections and wagers from users; determining which participants place in one of the top six positions in the event; comparing users' selections to the list of these six participants to identify users that have a “winning combination” based on correct identification of the requisite number of such participants; and providing payouts to those users. The term “outcome” respecting a sporting event refers to the six participants placing in one of the top six positions in the event and is a function of the performance criteria established for evaluating participants' performances in the event. The term “winning combination” refers to a user's selection matching the requisite number of top participants needed to win the game. Where users must identify less than all six top participants, the particular selections comprising a winning combination may vary from user to user. In games where user selections must match all six top participants, the terms outcome and winning combination are synonymous. Because based on the outcome of actual, scheduled sporting events, the basis for winning is objective and verifiable. Therefore, users of the lottery are assured that the winning combination is not “fixed” and that their own analysis of the sporting participant or teams is partly responsible for winning the lottery. Thus, the lottery system of the present invention is not just luck.

The present invention is referred to in the claims appended hereto as the “gaming system,” and referred to herein using this term, as well as the alternative and synonymous terms “system,” “lottery,” “lottery system,” “lottery game,” “skill-based lottery system,” and “lottery-type gaming system.” The term “lottery,” used alone, or in such phrases as those listed above and the phrases “lottery-type games,” “lottery structure,” “lottery administrator,” and “lottery provider” is employed for descriptive purposes only, not as a term of art. It merely adverts to the fact that certain features of the present gaming system are similar to those of a conventional lottery. Chief among these is the high reward-to-risk ratio characteristic of both, which reflects the relationship between the significant amounts available for payouts to winners and the minimal fees required to participate in a game. The provider, referred to elsewhere herein using the alternative and synonymous term “administrator,” programs the gaming system by selecting sporting events and participants on which users can wager, and establishing performance criteria and the number of participants a user must identify correctly in order to have winning combination. Participants listed as user selection options may comprise teams or individuals participating in sporting events composed solely of individual participants, such as golfers, race car drivers, jockeys and harness-racing drivers, or participants in mixed martial arts, electronic sports field and track, gymnastics and similar sporting events. For example, the provider may select a golf tournament such as the Masters in which about 140 golfers typically participate. Each golfer is assigned a number by the provider, the number being based on established rankings such as are available on published websites such as the PGA web site. Users then select the participants they bet will place in one of the top six positions in the tournament.

In another embodiment the provider can sponsor a lottery in which only the top four or top five finishers need to be correctly chosen. For example, the provider may base a game on one or more selected days of horse racing at one or more tracks and require that users identify four or more of the jockeys generating the greatest amount of winnings on the race days selected. The provider may make several lotteries available simultaneously. Some games may be based on finishing sequence, i.e., the temporal or numerical order in which competing participants place in a sporting event. Other games may be based on the number of points scored, such as runs, goals and the like, for a game or game segment or for a series or season's worth of sporting events. Games involving sports that base winning on a points system in the absence of a more decisive event, such as a pin in a wrestling match or knockout in a boxing match or mixed martial arts bout, may require that users identify participants placing in one of the top six positions based on performance criteria keyed to such decisive events, or to the number of points scored, or to some combination thereof. Games may also be based on performance criteria that are keyed to specific types of event characteristics of the particular sport involved but that do not necessarily equate to winning, including, but not limited to, the total number of points, runs, goals, and the like “allowed,” i.e., scored by a competitor, the number of shots on goal in a hockey game, the number of rebounds or steals in a basketball tournament, or the greatest number of running or passing yards, time in possession, first downs, interceptions, or completed passes in a football game or series of football games. According to different embodiments, winning may be the result of selecting all four or five or six participants in the correct order or simply selecting the required number of participants correctly, without regard to individual placement.

In other preferred embodiments the sporting event upon which the lottery is based is car racing such as but not limited to NASCAR which typically has a field of 43 drivers. Numbers are assigned to the drivers by their starting or “pole” position available from published sources such as newspapers or web sites. Users then select the top four, five or six finishers depending on the lottery game established by the provider.

In yet another embodiment, the lottery can be applied to team sporting events. For example, the performance criteria can be based on scoring totals of football, basketball, baseball, soccer or hockey teams over a given period of time. In one embodiment the provider sets the criteria as the six highest scoring football teams during one weekend of regular season National Football League play. Users must then correctly choose the six National Football League teams that will score the most points during that weekend. The same type of criteria can be applied to any other team sport for a given time period. Other variations may be fewest points (runs, goals, etc.) allowed by a team, fewest points (runs, goals, etc.) scored, etc. Other performance criteria are, for example, the six highest (or lowest) scoring teams in a time period, the first (or last) teams to score, teams shooting the most (least) shots on goal, and other possible permutations.

Other variations include season-long criteria for team sports such as, but not limited to, wins, losses, total points (runs, goals, etc.) scored, total points (runs, goals, etc.) allowed, etc. In every instance, regardless of the criteria, users of the lottery must choose four, five or six finishers depending on the lottery structure in order to win.

Another advantage of the invention is that the winning combination is not entirely random. Factors such as how participants in the sporting event compete in certain venues, injury reports, weather conditions, current level of play and the like all influence the outcome. Therefore, the skill of a user as a “handicapper” in large part can increase the chances of that user winning.

The most preferred embodiment is a web site that users access via the Internet, making games generated by the gaming system available to a global market, increasing the number of system users and the potential for returns. It should be noted that the term “most preferred embodiment” as used herein, refers to, and is synonymous with, the term “best mode” in 35 U.S.C. 112. The term “preferred embodiments” is used herein to distinguish from the best mode other embodiments within the scope of the claims appended hereto and their legal equivalents.

In the most preferred embodiment and preferred embodiments other than those involving the use of an intermediary, a user accesses the gaming system directly via the Internet or using a private communications network. The terms “access” and “accessible” as used herein and in the claims appended hereto refer to the act of connecting to, or with, an entity, such as a gaming server, in such manner as to be able to communicate information and requests to, and respond to information and requests from, such entity. In these embodiments, the user is requested to input information regarding identification of the user and payment method. Once the user has decided to actually place a wager on a game or a grouping of games and has provided the requested information, the user accesses a gaming page which presents choices and accepts the user's selection for the given game or games. Once the user has input his or her selections, the user is asked to confirm the user's selections. The user is then sent a confirmation and, in some embodiments, a ticket or an entry identification number, preferably by email. In an alternative preferred embodiment, the interactive wagering process is replaced by what is primarily a single exchange between the gaming system and a user, who places a wager using the services of an intermediary, such as an authorized agent, operating a ticket machine or a member of the staff in a betting parlor or casino sports book. No matter how the wager is placed, the user then waits for the conclusion of the event for the outcome to be established.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an illustration of typical hardware in a network system environment in accordance with a preferred embodiment and the most preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2A depicts a flowchart diagram of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2B depicts a flowchart diagram of the most preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2C depicts a flowchart diagram of a further preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2D depicts a preferred embodiment of a database scheme of the present invention.

FIG. 2E depicts a preferred embodiment of a main page employed in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2F depicts a preferred embodiment of an event page employed in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2G depicts a preferred embodiment of a game page employed in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2H depicts a preferred embodiment of a shopping cart page employed in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 3A depicts a log in/create account page of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3B depicts a personal information page of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3C depicts a payment information page of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 and FIG. 2D refer to all embodiments of the present invention. All other drawings refer either to the most preferred embodiment or to preferred embodiments of the invention other than those involving an intermediary. FIG. 1 depicts a communications network hardware 10 that includes a gaming server 12, referred to in the claims appended hereto as a “programmable electronic communications device,” and referred to herein using the alternative and synonymous terms “server,” “gaming server,” “gaming server 12,” and “server 12.” The gaming server comprises the gaming system. Communications network hardware 10 also includes at 14, a device referred to in the claims, generically and in the aggregate, as an “electronic communications device,” and referred to herein using the alternative and synonymous terms “user computer 14,” “computer terminal,” and “kiosk-type terminal.” Communications network hardware 10 also includes at 15, another device referred to herein and in the claims appended hereto as an “electronic communications device,” into which an intermediary such as an authorized ticket agent enters a user's selections and wager for communication to, and storage in, a gaming server 12. Devices 12 and 14, and devices 12 and 15, are in electronic communication with each other over a communications network 17. Network 17 may be a private communications network or the Internet, and may be hardwired, wireless, or a hybrid thereof. In the most preferred embodiment of the invention, network 17 constitutes the Internet and connects users to a web page on the gaming system's web site. In preferred embodiments of the invention, network 17 is a private communications network configured as a closed-loop, which is neither part of, nor connected to, the Internet (although preferred embodiments involving an intermediary may sometimes involve use of the Internet). The term “private, closed-loop communications network,” used herein and the claims appended hereto, includes local area networks (LANs), and wide area networks comprised of communications facilities such as transmission lines and switches, that are dedicated for the sole use of a private entity. The latter are referred to herein as “dedicated WANs.” Private communications networks are typically used in casinos and betting parlors to connect users at kiosk-type terminals to a gaming system. In preferred embodiments of the invention involving the services of an intermediary, network 17 can be either a private communications network or the Internet. Gaming server 12, user computer 14 and electronic communications device 15 are computer-type devices and are represented in FIG. 1 by pictographs conventionally associated with, and commonly used to represent a computer. The pictograph for user computer 14 includes an input device and a display device required to enable users to interact with the gaming system. Neither electronic communications device 15 nor gaming server 12 requires such peripheral devices.

Whereas preferred embodiments requiring an intermediary involve but a single exchange between the user and the gaming system, other preferred embodiments, as well as the most preferred embodiment, involve a dynamic and interactive wagering process that is facilitated by the gaming server. The gaming server includes among its components what is referred to in the claims appended hereto as a “non-transitory, computer-usable medium having computer-readable instructions embodied therein,” and which is referred to herein using the alternative and synonymous terms “computer readable media 24,” and “software” (except where the latter term is used with reference to “browser software”). The instructions for conducting the wagering process, as well as for storing sporting event-specific selections received from an electronic communications device 15, are written in a computer-readable code that is understandable to a processing device contained in the gaming server but that is unintelligible to those server components capable of performing such tasks. The processing device translates these coded instructions into commands expressed in a language that is understandable to such components, which then carry them out. These tasks include, but are not limited to, establishing user selection options and performance criteria for sporting events on which users can wager; requesting and receiving sporting event-specific selections, as well as those received via an intermediary in an “internal database,” referred to as such in the claims appended hereto and referred to herein, using this term, as well as the alternative and synonymous terms “database” and “memory device,” searching the internal database to identify and provide payouts to, users whose sporting event-specific selections match the requisite number of participants placing in one of the top six positions in a sporting event; and storing information in the internal database on completed games. The gaming server conducts the wagering process in real time, i.e. on the spot, in response to input from users. Because instructions embodied in the computer-usable medium are encoded in segments called “threads,” each of which represents a discrete task performed during the wagering process, gaming servers can perform a multiplicity of different tasks independently and can accommodate a plurality of users simultaneously.

In some preferred embodiments, network communication hardware 10 includes a plurality of either servers 12, user computers 14, or any combination thereof. Server 12 incorporates a memory device from which gaming information and other relevant data is accessible to user computer 14. Preferably, hardware 10 includes a plurality of servers 12 that are operatively connected to network 17. Two such servers 12 are shown in FIG. 1. It will be understood that network systems in accordance with various embodiments will include more than two servers 12.

Server computer 12 comprises the gaming system and can be any suitable network-connectable computer-type device capable of providing content (data representing text, hypertext, photographs, graphics, video and/or audio) for communication over network 17 in accordance with computer-readable instructions stored on one or more of computer readable media 24 (for example, but not limited to, floppy disks, hard disks, random access memory RAM, CD-ROM, ZIP disks). The server computer 12 may include one or more internal data storage devices, e.g. a hard drive (not shown), for storing content for communication to a user computer 14 and to electronic communications device 15. Server computer 12 is connected to an external data storage device, generally represented at 26, from which server computer 12 obtains information concerning sporting events for communication to user computer 14. In one embodiment, external device 26 comprises a further network device coupled to network 17. Server computer 12 is controlled by suitable software to provide the requested content information to the requesting user computer 14 and to electronic communications device 15.

Gaming server 12 accesses information on upcoming sporting events from this external data storage device and information on the outcome of game-based sporting events either from this device or from a sports wire service such as that represented in FIG. 2B at 54, both of which are referred to in the claims appended hereto as an “external data device.” It will be understood by those skilled in the art that this process involves communication through routers and other network components in addition to suitable servers, as is dictated by the particular network environment.

User computer 14 comprises any suitable network-connectable, computer-type device capable of communicating with other devices in the network system according to an established protocol. User computer 14 has a display device 20 for providing a user-perceivable display (for example, but not limited to visual displays, such as cathode ray tube (CRT) displays, light-emitting-diode (LED) or liquid-crystal-diode (LCD) displays, plasma displays or the like, audio displays or tactile displays), and a user input device 22 (for example, but not limited to, a keyboard, mouse, trackball, touch pad, microphone, or the like). In the most preferred embodiment, user computer 14 comprises a personal computer having a CRT display, a keyboard and a mouse user-input device.

The user computer 14 is controlled by suitable software, including network communication and browser software to allow a user to request, receive and display information (or content) from or through a provider computer 12 on the network system 10. The user computers 14 are any computer-type device capable of communicating with the server computers 12, including, but not limited, to personal computers, PDAs, email-enabled cell phones and ATM-type terminals. User computers 14 access server computers 12 via network 17.

Where the services of an intermediary are involved, gaming server 12 comprising the gaming system communicates information on games open for wager to, and receives information on users' sporting event-specific selections from, an electronic communicates device located in the retail store of an authorized ticket agent or located in a betting parlor or casino sports book. The gaming server stores sporting event-specific selections received from this device in a file such as file 506 depicted in FIG. 2D, which contains all other sporting event specific selections and wagers relating to the specific sporting event. If the intermediary is located in a betting parlor or casino sports book, the user may opt to convey his or her sporting event-specific selections and wagers to an intermediary, either in person, or via a land line or mobile phone. In the alternative, a user may visit an authorized, retail-style establishment and submit sporting event-specific wagers on a computer-coded card or by some comparable method. In either case, the intermediary enters the user's selections and wagers into an electronic communications device, either by inserting the user's computer-coded card in to the device or by entering the data manually from a comparable for or in response to verbal directions from the user. This device processes the data electronically and communicates it to the gaming server via a communications network to which both are connected. If the user is on site and the electronic communications device is equipped to do so, it then generates a ticket or other form of receipt confirming the user's selections and wagers.

The gaming system of the instant invention bases winning on the outcome of actual sporting events, providing a verifiable method of determining the results of the lottery. The present invention is typically applied to a single sporting event when the sporting event involves a large number of competing participants, such as but not limited to a golf tournament, basketball tournament such as the NCAA tournament or a baseball season. The invention is typically applied to a plurality of sporting events when the number of participants in a single event is small, such as a basketball game (between two teams), there are usually many such games being played in a confined time frame, such as a weekend of professional basketball games. Users can independently ascertain the results of the lottery and verify the authenticity of such results through published reports of the particular sporting event or events involved.

With reference to FIG. 2A, a flowchart of operations involved in one preferred embodiment of the invention is disclosed. According to the FIG. 2A flowchart, players who desire to participate in a particular lottery game establish a connection in step 16 on a wide area computer network between a user computer 14 (see FIG. 1) and a server 12. In the most preferred embodiment, depicted FIGS. 2B and 2C, a substantially unlimited number of users can connect to the system via the Internet and receive information and place wagers at any given time and for any given game or series of games. Indeed, as previously noted, in the most preferred embodiment, the disclosed in FIGS. 2B and 2C, global participation in any given game is possible. As is well known, the processing speed of modern computers, being on the order of millions of operations per second, permits such seemingly simultaneous accommodation of many users.

Once a player has established a connection with server 12 (FIG. 1), the player accesses an initial, or home, page in step 18 (FIG. 2A). To participate in a game, the user registers or sign-up through an accessible sign-up page, examples of which ware illustrated in FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C, via a link from the home page, as will be described below. Once a user has accessed the sign-up page, the user is able to enter pertinent information according to step 20, such as, for example, name, address, date of birth, the method of payment information. Address and date of birth information may be used in combination for user confirmation. The inputted information is conveyed to and verified by server 12 in step 23, such as, for example, the credit information or account information. If the information is accepted, server 12 allows the user to access a gaming page in step 24 via an access button, such as a “play” button.

Once connected to the gaming pages, the user enters selections at step 26, and enters the number of desired drawings, that is, the number of games to play with these selections. The “selection” is data, in the form of numbers, alphabet characters, mouse clicks, or other indicia, being representative of the user's choices for the game.

When the user is satisfied with his selections, the user selects a confirmation 27, or multiplay element on the gaming page via an access button. The gaming server then accesses the confirmation page. Once the user has accessed the confirmation page, the user's selections and number of plays are displayed for the user. The display of the selections provides confirmation at step 28 to the user that the correct selections have been recorded. In one preferred embodiment, the user reconfirms the selections by selecting an “OK” feature, or has the opportunity to change the selections by selecting a “CLEAR” feature, which indicates that the choices are incorrect and allows the user to make new selections.

After the user's selections and wagers have been confirmed, the user can access another play via a repeat play utility, such as a “play Another Game” feature at step 29. If the user selects the “Play Another Game” option and chooses to play, the server will return the user to the general gaming page at step 30. If instead, the user chooses to terminate play, the user then exits the gaming system at step 32.

The most preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in the flowchart in FIG. 2B. A user of the lottery system connects at step 36 by various means, some of which are telephone, computer link and mobile communication. Access to the system occurs through an Internet web site at step 38, from which the determination is made at step 40 of whether the user has an existing account. If the user has an existing account, the account is accessed at step 46. If not, the user is requested at step 42 to set up an account, the information for which is entered into the system database at step 44, in compliance with for example FIGS. 3A-3C, described below. After the user enters information into the database at step 44, the established account is accessed at step 46. The user is then presented with a selection at step 48 for various sports on which wagers may be made, for example, golf, tennis, football, hockey, soccer, track and field, bowling, etc. Assuming that the user selects golf as a choice, the system moves to step 50 to make a selection and place a bet. The selection process is discussed below. After the user and other users of the system have placed their wagers, the time window for wagering closes at the beginning of the sporting event or events, and the results are awaited.

The results, or outcome, of the sporting event is determined at step 54. The outcome may be reported directly to the server from a wire service or may be inputted manually after reference to a news reporting service or the like. Each wager ticket is evaluated by comparison to the reported outcome to determine whether it is a winner or a loser. If a winner is determined at step 58, the account of the holder of the winning ticket is updated, i.e., winning amount deposited, at step 60, and the information is entered into database 44. If the ticket is not a winner, determined at step 56, or after a deposit of the winning amount is made at step 58 and the account is updated at step 60, the holder of the winning ticket is notified at step 62, by any known means of communication.

The game administrator or provider presents the winning numbers which have been obtained from the results of an event. For example, and discussed below, in one preferred embodiment winning criteria are determined from the results of a selected sporting event such as, but not limited to a golf tournament wherein, for example, the players are ranked according to their prior performance and given ranking numbers. The top six finishers of the event are identified in a post-tournament report by numbers corresponding to their rankings. The results of the tournament are posted and the lottery winners are notified by any acceptable means, including, but not limited to, telephone, e-mail, postal service, facsimile and posting on the web site maintained by the service operator.

Registration is preferably completed before wagering. Registration can be implemented by entry of the information either manually or through a computer terminal, such as may be presented over the Internet or in a sports book parlor or at a kiosk. Each potential user will preferably be asked to register when entering the system by being presented with a screen, an example of which is shown in FIG. 3A, by entering information in the windows of dialog box 70, e.g., email name and password. In this embodiment, a new user will be required to open an account by clicking on the “create” button in dialog box 72. The new user will move to FIG. 3B to enter identifying information into the several data windows in dialog box 74. At the completion of box 74, the user will click on the “create” button and be presented with the screen in FIG. 3C, including dialog box 76 for the submission of payment methods and information. Where available, payment information may be entered by inserting a bank card or credit card in a reader. Upon completing the registration information, the user is validated by the system and presented with sport and event selection and wagering options.

Now referring to FIG. 2C, the most preferred embodiment of the invention comprises an Internet-accessible web site comprising a main page 100, events page 110, game page 120, shopping cart page 130, log in/create account page 140, summary page 150, payment information page 160 and confirmation page 170. FIG. 2D comprises an example of a database scheme for preferred and most preferred embodiments.

Now referring to FIG. 2E, main page 100 comprises a plurality of sport categories from which a user may choose by for example clicking on a sport of interest. Main page 100, like all pages in this embodiment, may further comprise links to other pages such as, but not limited to, log in/create account page 140 or “hot links” to game page 120. Upon selecting a sport on main page 100, a user accesses events page 110.

Now referring to FIG. 2F, events page 110 displays the particular current events in the sport selected in main page 100 upon which a wager can be placed. Event page 110 preferably comprises links to other pages. A user selects an event from the event page 110 by clicking on the event and is transferred to game page 120.

Now referring to FIG. 2G, game page 120 comprises a list of the participants for the selected event and the rules and criteria governing the particular lottery to be conducted for that event. For example game page 120 provides a list of participants in a golf tournament and permits a user to select six golfers or groups of golfers the user believes will place in one of the top four, five or six positions in the tournament. A user may use game page 120 to play multiple games. Game page 120 may provide the user with lists comprising the selections made for each game played.

Now referring to FIG. 2H, upon completing all selections, a user may click on a link to shopping cart page 130, which displays selections for each game in the form of lists or “tickets”. Shopping cart page 130 permits a user to delete unwanted “tickets” or go back to the game page to add further “tickets”. Once a user has decided to proceed with the “tickets” the user has created through his selections, the user may click on a link to the log in/create account page 140.

Now referring to FIG. 3A, if the user has an existing account the user enters his e-mail and password in dialog box 70 and proceeds to order summary page 150. Now referring to FIGS. 3B and 3C, if the user does not have an existing account the user creates an account using the prompts on create account page 140. Once an account and log in password are generated the user may proceed to order summary page 150. Order summary page 150 permits a user to confirm the order prior to proceeding to payment information page 160. Payment information page 160 collects payment information such as but not limited to credit card information. After entering said information the user submits the payment information for determination as to whether the information is valid and the financial transaction can be completed. Upon confirmation of a successful transaction the user is transferred to printable confirmation page 170.

Funds may be linked to be transferred between existing betting pools and the lottery of the present invention. Wagering fees are typically transferred after selections are made, but before the user is issued a wager confirmation. Winnings are typically credited at the conclusion of the sporting event via the Internet, or other transmission means, to existing bank, credit or betting accounts.

In many sporting events, for example a major golf tournament, there are a large number of players who compete, possibly 100 or more. This presents a group that is typically too large for purposes of a lottery because a user's chances of winning decrease as the number of selection options increases. Thus, it is recognized that if a limited number of those sporting event participants ranked higher based on their prior performances, such as between 35 and 40, are listed individually as user selection options and the remaining, lower-ranked sporting event participants are assigned to a group constituting a single user selection option, the number of available selections from which to choose can be reduced to a manageable number appropriate for a lottery.

As indicated above, the most preferred embodiment involves use of the Internet for transmission and receipt of gaming data and other information. In this preferred embodiment the gaming server is one of a plurality of gaming servers comprising the gaming system's web site. The user accesses the main page upon connecting with the web site. The main page is an introductory page that comprises textual information and hyperlinks for access to subsequent pages on the web site designed to direct a user to a reign language page and following pages, if desired, in which the information is presented in a specific language selected by the user.

The textual information comprises any type of information that the gaming provider chooses. In one embodiment, the textual information comprises gaming information and rules and regulations, or, in alternate embodiments, a link that connects the user to access a rules and regulatory information page. Gaming information comprises jackpot totals (i.e., an amount representing current wagers for an event that is soon to be played), upcoming lottery participatory sporting events and previous winning combinations. In some preferred embodiments, winning numbers and/or characters are updated immediately after the new winning combinations are determined.

In another preferred embodiment, the jackpot total is displayed in the different currencies of all of the countries in which the lottery game is available to be played. As more players participate in placing wager selections, the jackpot becomes larger. As the jackpot becomes larger, the displayed totals change to reflect the most recent information each preset time interval, such as, for example, every minute, quarter hour, or every hour.

The rules and other regulatory information can be included directly on the home page, or, in alternate embodiments, is able to be accessed via a hyperlink from the home page. Players may also access the rules and regulations from other pages (described below) on the site, or from a number of different pages. If the rules and regulation information is accessed via a hyperlink, the user is directed to a file comprising “How to Play” information stored in a memory device from which it can be retrieved. Preferably, the rules and regulations information comprise information related to restrictions of the game, including, but not limited to, information regarding who is not eligible to play the game; entry provisions; how to claim the jackpot; claiming deadlines; dispute resolution; miscellaneous transaction fees; and definition of legal terms. As regulations and rules change, due, for example, to changes in laws, or at the discretion of the lottery provider, this section is updated to reflect such changes.

The home page includes at least one hyperlink, for example, a “Play” button, such that the player can exit the home page and advance to other pages on the system, wherein the user can ultimately indicate his or her selections to play. In one preferred embodiment, the home page comprises hyperlinks to registration or sign-up pages, which are written in English and a number of foreign languages, or as previously discussed, as well as hyperlinks to the rules and regulations file.

If a user chooses to participate in the game, the user may be required to register prior to commencing play of the game. Selection of the aforementioned command hyperlink will send the user to a registration page. If a user has previously registered, the registered user can simply access selection pages by entry of a password.

Once information has been entered into the registration page, the player enters a command, such as a HTML hyperlink embedded in a “play” button graphic which moves the user to the next step of the process. In some preferred embodiments, a user cannot progress to the next step of the process until all of the information is provided and the underlying transaction has been authorized and cleared. In some preferred embodiments, if any part of the registration page form is not filled in completely, or if the form of payment is rejected, the player is sent back to the registration page to correct the problem.

In some preferred embodiments, once the requested information on the registration page has been provided and transmitted, and the underlying transaction has been approved and accepted, the user can access the game page via the gaming server. In preferred embodiments, the user dicks on a “play” button which accesses the game page if the above requirements have been met. Alternatively, a player may browse the game page and is not required to register until he is satisfied he wishes to play. In such a case, the user may make all selections and not be required to register until he decides to participate.

Different selection requirements and payouts for correct choices are contemplated. The provider may require that users select all six of the participants placing in one of the top six positions in a sporting event. In the alternative, the provider may require that users select only four of the six, or only five of the six participants placing in one of the top six positions in the event. Where users are required to select all six participants correctly, it is contemplated that the highest payout be made to a user correctly selecting all six of the six and that users correctly choosing five out of six or four out of six receive smaller payouts. A bonus payment may be made for picking the top six or five or four participants placing in one of the top six positions in the correct order of finishing or for picking the participant placing in the top spot and the other top participants in random order.

In a preferred embodiment, if there is no winner for a particular lottery the jackpot is rolled over into another lottery game, preferably based on a similar sporting event. For example, if there is no winner of the lottery based on the outcome of the British Open, the jackpot is rolled into the next scheduled PGA event.

Having described preferred embodiments of a system and a method for facilitating online lottery games according to the present invention, it is noted that modifications and variations can be made by persons skilled in the art in light of the above teachings. For example, notwithstanding the fact that the present invention is a skill based lottery system, it is contemplated that the game be offered to users with the option of making “quick pick” selections via a random number generator.

Accordingly, it is not intended that the scope of the claims appended hereto is limited to the description as set forth herein, but the claims should be construed as encompassing all features that would be treated as equivalent to those of the present invention by those skilled in the art. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for accepting a wager associated with a competition-based event, the method comprising: storing information in memory regarding a plurality of competition-based events, wherein each of the plurality of competition-based events is associated with a time window; receiving a plurality of wagers associated with a selected one of the competition-based events, wherein each wager includes a selection of competitors in an order based on a criterion; executing instructions stored in memory, wherein execution of the instructions by a processor: determines that each wager was received within the time window associated with the selected competition-based event, identifies a criterion-based order of winning competitors from information regarding an outcome of the selected competition-based event, identifies matches between the identified criterion-based order of winning competitors and the user-selected and ordered competitors from each wager, and determines an outcome associated with the wager based on the identified matches; and notifying the user of the determined outcome associated with the wager.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of competition-based events includes sporting events.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the time window terminates when the competition-based event commences.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the outcome associated with the wager indicates a winning wager.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the outcome associated with the wager indicates a losing wager.
 6. The method of claim 4, further comprising calculating a payout for the user based on the outcome associated with the wager.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification is made by e-mail.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification is made by posting results on a website accessible by the user.
 9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, having embodied thereon a program executable by a processor to perform a method for accepting a wager associated with a competition-based event, the method comprising: storing information in memory regarding a plurality of competition-based events, wherein each of the plurality of competition-based events is associated with a time window; receiving a plurality of wagers associated with a selected one of the competition-based events, wherein each wager includes a selection of competitors in an order based on a criterion; determining that each wager was received within the time window associated with the selected competition-based event, identifying a criterion-based order of winning competitors from information regarding an outcome of the selected competition-based event, identifying matches between the identified criterion-based order of winning competitors and the user-selected and ordered competitors from each wager, and determining an outcome associated with the wager based on the identified matches; and notifying the user of the determined outcome associated with the wager.
 10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the plurality of competition-based events includes sporting events.
 11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the time window terminates when the competition-based event commences.
 12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the outcome associated with the wager indicates a winning wager.
 13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the outcome associated with the wager indicates a losing wager.
 14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, further comprising calculating a payout for the user based on the outcome associated with the wager.
 15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the notification is made by e-mail.
 16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the notification is made by posting results on a website accessible by the user. 